The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
The chair opened the meeting w/the Serenity Prayer.The room chair schedule and op responsibilities were posted.
The August minutes were approved as written.
No treasurers report.
Old Business
Frequently Asked Questions
A rough draft of the FAQ was sent to officers and ops and will now be posted on the message board.All interested parties are asked to give input.The new version will be presented at the October business meeting.
Al-anon Registration with WSO
The chair reported that after contacting WSO 4 times it was a dead issue for the following reason: If we want to be registered we cannot have the following links: ACOA, AA, NA etc.A discussion followed.
The only real benefit to being registered with the WSO would be to be listed on their website. Detaching from MIP would mean setting up a new website.It seems like too much to lose and not enough to gain.
A motion was made and seconded in favor of not registering with WSO and keeping things as they are versus getting registered and only being an Al-anon site.The vote was 10 in favor, 4 against,1 abstention.
A Request to Change the Closing Prayer from The Lords Prayer to The Al-anon Declaration
The discussion included the following points: one of the great attributes of this program, if not the greatest, is that it is known as a spiritual program.Although the Lord's prayer is often associated with one religion, it's author meant it for all of us.A suggestion was made that if we replace it with something else; we at least include the value of this program being a spiritual one.If we do remove the Lords Prayer do we also need to remove the steps that use GOD in them? Everyone in this program has the right to choose a higher power. The word god can mean the god of your understanding.The prayer relates to the twelve steps.A suggestion was made for two closings: one with The Lords Prayer and one w/another closing.The chair would decide which one to use.> it doesn't say God.The prayer says "our father", and our father can be very broad. Even Native Americans use father sky, mother earth, etc.It was noted that the concept may be confusing to newcomers who we do not want to alienate.The prayer that is at the end is not as direct as the serenity prayer.It states directly to God so that is more direct to a religion than the words out Father.
A question was asked if The Al-anon Declaration was copyrighted because permission is needed from WSO to quote CAL. Part of the electronic guidelines reads...
Annual licensing forms are sent to the meeting to renew permission to use the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, Twelve Concepts of Service, Suggested Welcome and Closing, and short excerpts (maximum one paragraph) from CAL in the meeting.
The chair responded that this was a good point; however, WSO was called and they choose not to respond.We are all here out of love in recovery.We want to help each other out without the fear of WSO shutting us down. Also noted was that WSO because they are not putting principals above personalities might be the reason we are having difficulties. Al-anon is a program given to us all, all the people of the world, not just the few who take the time to follow buearacracy.All on-line rooms are here for the same reason: recovery. Members are free to choose which meetings to attend.
In the interest of time a vote was taken on the following motion: to change the closing prayer from the Lord's Prayer to the Al-anon Declaration.The vote tallied 13 nays and 1 abstention.The closing prayer will remain the Lord's Prayer
The chair thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting with The Lords Prayer.
